PALAWAN RED BTTERFLY
PALAWAN LAKE
PALAWAN ISLAND
PALAWAN HANGIN BRIDGETHE 51-YEAR-OLD VENDOR, with a smart looking Esprit T-shirt and a broad, toothygrin was eager to show off the elaborately decorated wooden rulerhe had for sale.With a flick of his wrist,he revealed that it is actually a knife-likeletter opener.
"You can take this anywhere and people won't even know," he says cheerfully,apparently summoning his best sales pitch.A closer looks reveals that the jovial vendor of sharp objects has a small piece of orange cloth pinned to his shirt, signifying that he is an inmate at the Iwahig Penal Colony in Palawan,Philippines.
Serving a lifetime homicide and robbery, the prisoner is one of more than a thousand inmates who wonder freely around the unusual 212-square-kilometer penal colony.The local tourism department considers it a "must-see" spot for visitors.
Few distinations feature a prison as one of their top tourist sites, but Palawan, 1.5-million-hectare island between Luzon and Borneo prides itself in being a little bit different. It is home to the oldest known remains of ancient Filipinos and a bizarre underground river that snakes a mile into the earth. The island is also host to same of the philippines' most exclusive beach resorts.Palawan can be a challenge to visit.It takes an eight-10-hour drive to get from the southern capital city of Puerto Princesa to the pristine beaches of the north. As a result,the quickest way to get from the south to the north is to fly back to manila and take a connecting flight. Usually, travellers to Palawan decide to go either south or north during a single visit.
Going South. If travellers decide to go the southern route to Puerto Princesa from Manila, they'll a quiet,squeaky-clean town. Palawans capital has repeatedly been named the country's "cleanest and greenest" city.Its colorful mayor has been known to be fined by his own police force when he is caught tossing cigarette butts on the sidewalk.
In addition to the interesting Iwahig prison about 30 minutes outside of town,there is also an impressive crocodile farm run by a director who is determined to salvage the reputation of the gargantuan reptiles. In the Philppines, corrupt politicians and cops are called crocodiles.
"Crocodiles are victims of slander and libel," says Gerardo Ortega, director of the Crocodile Farming Institute. Crocodiles only eat twice a weelk at three percent of their body weight.The human Crocodiles are insatiable, getting wealth left and right, more than they can consume."
About five hours south of Puerto Princesa ,the small town of Quezon serves as a jump-off point for the Tabon Caves, where remnants of Filipino settlers dating to 22,000 B.C. have been found . The caves aren't that impressive, since there is nothing left in them, but there is a small museum in town that puts he archaeological importance of the area into context.
By far the most spectacular place in Palawan is the St. Paul Underground River. A car can be chartered for about US$75 roun-trip, or you can take the package mini=busses for the four- hour ride. The bumpy ride is followed by a two kilometer walk throug the jungle. The trip is rigorous but its worth it.
Travellers, for a small fee,, ride dugout canoes with a gas lamp attached deep into winding underground cave. The labyrinthine river takes you deeper and deeper, revealing ghostly limestone structures along the way, untill it appears you won't find your way out. after more than an hour, the boat emerges in a beautiful lagoon.It is a strange and memorable experience.
GOING NORTH. For those who want to enjoy the beautiful beaches of northern Palawan, there are direct flights to several small airports in the area. The exclusives resorts, such as Amanpulo,have comfortable private luonges in the Manila airport for passengers waiting to connect to their domestic flight.
One of the top spots in northern Palawan is the El Nido group, which includes the Lagen and Miniloc island resorts. Miniloc is a luxurious version of a traditional Filipino village with tatched roof cottages sitting over the water.Lagen's cottages feature antique furnishing and area set alongside the forest. Both of the El Nido resorts after world class service in a remote, pristine
location.They offer buffet meals, swimming pools and water sports. Also in northern Palawan is Amanpulo, na exclusive resort on the 89-hectare private island of Pamalica, in the Cuyo islands group.The island is sorrounded by white sand beaches and coral reef.The plush facility has a library, playground and a variety of watersports. A personal club car is provided to each guest to get around the island. Club Noah, in taytay, north of Puerto Princesa, has 40 rooms and sits on a cave. It has four restaurants and a variety of water spots.
In Caron, the popular Club Paradise resort has 60 rooms, a swimming pool and a wildlife center. The resort also can arrange tours to nearby Calauit Island where former president Ferdinand Marcos tried to establish an African wildlife sanctuary0.
"You can take this anywhere and people won't even know," he says cheerfully,apparently summoning his best sales pitch.A closer looks reveals that the jovial vendor of sharp objects has a small piece of orange cloth pinned to his shirt, signifying that he is an inmate at the Iwahig Penal Colony in Palawan,Philippines.
Serving a lifetime homicide and robbery, the prisoner is one of more than a thousand inmates who wonder freely around the unusual 212-square-kilometer penal colony.The local tourism department considers it a "must-see" spot for visitors.
Few distinations feature a prison as one of their top tourist sites, but Palawan, 1.5-million-hectare island between Luzon and Borneo prides itself in being a little bit different. It is home to the oldest known remains of ancient Filipinos and a bizarre underground river that snakes a mile into the earth. The island is also host to same of the philippines' most exclusive beach resorts.Palawan can be a challenge to visit.It takes an eight-10-hour drive to get from the southern capital city of Puerto Princesa to the pristine beaches of the north. As a result,the quickest way to get from the south to the north is to fly back to manila and take a connecting flight. Usually, travellers to Palawan decide to go either south or north during a single visit.
Going South. If travellers decide to go the southern route to Puerto Princesa from Manila, they'll a quiet,squeaky-clean town. Palawans capital has repeatedly been named the country's "cleanest and greenest" city.Its colorful mayor has been known to be fined by his own police force when he is caught tossing cigarette butts on the sidewalk.
In addition to the interesting Iwahig prison about 30 minutes outside of town,there is also an impressive crocodile farm run by a director who is determined to salvage the reputation of the gargantuan reptiles. In the Philppines, corrupt politicians and cops are called crocodiles.
"Crocodiles are victims of slander and libel," says Gerardo Ortega, director of the Crocodile Farming Institute. Crocodiles only eat twice a weelk at three percent of their body weight.The human Crocodiles are insatiable, getting wealth left and right, more than they can consume."
About five hours south of Puerto Princesa ,the small town of Quezon serves as a jump-off point for the Tabon Caves, where remnants of Filipino settlers dating to 22,000 B.C. have been found . The caves aren't that impressive, since there is nothing left in them, but there is a small museum in town that puts he archaeological importance of the area into context.
By far the most spectacular place in Palawan is the St. Paul Underground River. A car can be chartered for about US$75 roun-trip, or you can take the package mini=busses for the four- hour ride. The bumpy ride is followed by a two kilometer walk throug the jungle. The trip is rigorous but its worth it.
Travellers, for a small fee,, ride dugout canoes with a gas lamp attached deep into winding underground cave. The labyrinthine river takes you deeper and deeper, revealing ghostly limestone structures along the way, untill it appears you won't find your way out. after more than an hour, the boat emerges in a beautiful lagoon.It is a strange and memorable experience.
GOING NORTH. For those who want to enjoy the beautiful beaches of northern Palawan, there are direct flights to several small airports in the area. The exclusives resorts, such as Amanpulo,have comfortable private luonges in the Manila airport for passengers waiting to connect to their domestic flight.
One of the top spots in northern Palawan is the El Nido group, which includes the Lagen and Miniloc island resorts. Miniloc is a luxurious version of a traditional Filipino village with tatched roof cottages sitting over the water.Lagen's cottages feature antique furnishing and area set alongside the forest. Both of the El Nido resorts after world class service in a remote, pristine
location.They offer buffet meals, swimming pools and water sports. Also in northern Palawan is Amanpulo, na exclusive resort on the 89-hectare private island of Pamalica, in the Cuyo islands group.The island is sorrounded by white sand beaches and coral reef.The plush facility has a library, playground and a variety of watersports. A personal club car is provided to each guest to get around the island. Club Noah, in taytay, north of Puerto Princesa, has 40 rooms and sits on a cave. It has four restaurants and a variety of water spots.
In Caron, the popular Club Paradise resort has 60 rooms, a swimming pool and a wildlife center. The resort also can arrange tours to nearby Calauit Island where former president Ferdinand Marcos tried to establish an African wildlife sanctuary0.
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